Building materials for bread oven

[Mary Fisher]

An interesting post - but I wouldn't eat frozen peas - from choice, having sampled several over the years I can't see the point.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Fish and scrambled eggs (laid by my own hens of course - they can't compare with the best bought ones) are excellent, cooked properly (and swiftly) on an efficient hob in an efficient pan. That way you don't need a device (microwave) cluttering up precious kitchen space for the sake of heating cold coffee..

Mary

[Dave]

Nothing, don't think that I meant anything by not going to e-mail.

It is nothing personal. If you look at the extra posts that have been added to this thread, I just thought that it would be better aired on the news group.

At first, I just wanted an answer to a quick question, but I was surprised just how many others thought my subject was of interest that to hide it, in e-mail, would be a public snub to the others on this ng.

And still lots more posts about cooking food have come in today.

Dave

[Andrew Gabriel]

Well I agree fresh are better. My grandparents used to have a large market garden when I was a child, and they supplied us (and a couple of village shops) with vegetables, and eggs and chickens (and cut flowers). Fresh peas are brilliant when you pick them and use them immediately, but they don't store for any length of time IMHO, particularly after shelling. I don't have time to grow my own nowadays, and I like them all year round, so frozen it has to be most of the time. I always go for the petit pois, although I have noticed they aren't as petit as they used to be, indeed they often aren't petit at all, so it's worth feeling the size of them though the packet before buying. I theorise each pea has a fixed amount of flavour, so the smaller they are when picked, the more flavour they have when you eat them -- it just dilutes as they grow bigger. I've tried fresh peas from shops (didn't have a freezer for a month at one point), but time between picking and using means frozen peas taste 'fresher' than those, so I think 'fresh' peas only work if you just picked them.

[Dave]

Scrambled eggs are done, by my wife, in the microwave, I like to do them in the pan. I find that I have so much more control and feedback with this method.

I should add, that she likes her food over cooked, where as I like things like eggs very slightly undercooked. She likes her lamb steaks overcooked while I like mine slightly undercooked and tender.

If we were not that different, I doubt we would still be married ;-)

Dave

[RichardS]

I have seen/read somewhere that peas do in fact have a very short shelf life if sweetness & flavour is important to you. I will never willingly buy fresh peas from supermarkets - even greengrocers are a bit iffy - they just don't seem to have any flavour (especially if they have been flown in thousands of miles).

There is apparently a reason for this. Sugars in peas convert very quickly to starches after picking, which means that by the time they hit the supermarket shelves they have already lost pretty much all of their "garden pea" sweetness.

The frozen pea industry is all about speed - from output of the viner to frozen in about 2 hours is the goal IIRC. This stops the sugar/starch degredation.

Of course this could be complete bollox, but it's what I remember the explanation to be.

IMHO frozen peas are one of the stars of preserved mass-distributed vegetables - tinned toms being the other notable example.

They can't compare to freshly picked home-grown (I grow them in my allotment), but they're vastly superior to "fresh" ones, and of course not many people have the luxury of a veg patch any more.

We can eat about half a kilo in one meal between the two of us (one of the joys of SWMBO's weightwatchers program is that there are no points in peas - result!). Generally steamed.

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[Clint Sharp]

In message , Mary Fisher writes

My hob doesn't time my food for me whilst I'm on the 'phone solving a client's problems so I tend to burn stuff if I receive a call and I can make food that tastes very good to my palate using a microwave, I bow to your obvious culinary talents and your exceptional resources but in my world a microwave is an excellent device.

My coffee doesn't get cold, even if it did, I wouldn't stoop to re-heating it as it tastes foul, I'd rather make fresh.

[The Natural Philosopher]

But very few that have NOT been tested by firing to near white heat Mary...

NOT the same for your average sedimentary rock...but true for many metamorphosed and all igneous rocks.

[usenet]

Yes, the same applies to beans, particularly broad beans. We have been expanding our vegetable garden over the past few years and last year grew broad beans for the first time - what a revelation! Broad beans picked and cooked immediately are just fantastic compared with any that I remember having eaten before.

[Chris Bacon]

Yes, uk.food+drink.misc went thataway. I think even they got peeved by the incontinence of MF though.

[Mary Fisher]

I agree with you on all points.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

That's a red rag to this bull :-)

Mary

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[Mary Fisher]

They are - but I can't grow them without the scourge of blackfly. Since I have such a small garden I have to sacrifice some things.

I've just begun an asparagus bed and hope I live long enough to enjoy the results - four years :-(

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

I'm on you side in these matters!

I had to teach Spouse how to enjoy foods without being cardboardised. Now he wouldn't go back. It only took about twenty years, he's had twenty five of pure pleasure instead of just fueling his body.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Same here, but I know several people who use the nuker to do just that!

Thanks for reminding me - I've over-run elevenses!

Mary

[RichardS]

I interplant with nastersiums (sp??!!) as blackfly love those over and above even broad beans and spray with a solution of soft soap - v. effective against aphids. (& the only spray that I use)

It's the waiting & the space requirements that have put me off growing asparagus. Good luck with it though, it'll be worth the wait.

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[Mary Fisher]

Hmm. If I remember I'll try that next year. I like nasturtiums.

I hope so, it's something to aim for. That little plot wasn't much use for anything else. I soedseeds and nothing happened until, suddenly one morning, there were 2" vertical hair-like strands which, under a glass, were tiny asparagus stalks! I planted them out when they were ferny, five have survived.

Thanks for the advice.

Mary

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[Rod]

"Mary Fisher" wrote in news:42b950e8$0$28622$ [e-mail]:

Yes - really nice in a sandwich - just butter and nasturtium leaves.

[Dave]

The professional chefs call this caramelising ;-)

See! I said it was better to keep this thread on the news group.

I have seen all the interest in this subject that we all love, food.

Dave

[Dave]

I have never looked at this, let alone subscribed, but as the starter of this of topic thread, I'd better take a look at alternative sites :-)

Dave